On an NFL roster, they say no player is more popular than the backup quarterback. For the Lakers, it might just be the fourth-string center.

OK, so Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle would all have something to say in a popularity contest. But when it comes to those farther down Byron Scott’s bench, none seems to have captured the imagination of the fanbase quite like Robert Upshaw.

Yes, he’s the troubled guy who was kicked off teams at Fresno State and the University of Washington. But he’s also a shot-blocker in the truest sense, a 7-footer with a 9-foot, 5-inch standing reach.

“He was OK,” Scott said. “He made a ton of mistakes on both ends of the floor, but that’s probably to be expected his first game.”

Upshaw presents a quandary for the Lakers, and what they decide to do with him could prove telling in their motivations for this season.

Tarik Black and Robert Sacre have contributed to the team in the past, and are likely more ready to contribute this season than is Upshaw. But if the Lakers are truly in development mode, would they favor Upshaw and his potential over one of those two known quantities?

The Lakers’ first 11 players are as good as set. But they have a number of candidates to get them to the league maximum of 15 players.

Realistically, six players are competing for the final four roster spots: Ryan Kelly, Metta World Peace, Jabari Brown, Sacre, Black and Upshaw.

Rookies Jonathan Holmes and Michael Frazier are also in training camp, but would need to impress mightily to jump over the others vying for roster spots.

Upshaw could be the wild card in the whole thing.

The Lakers could sign Upshaw and simply assign him to their Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders, but he would still count against the 15-man max. They could waive him, and the D-Fenders could sign him, but that would not prevent another NBA team from signing him.

Scott said the Lakers could conceivably keep four centers, including starter Roy Hibbert, but indicated that would only be in an extreme circumstance. “All four of them would have to be playing really well,” Scott said.

He arrived at Lakers training camp 20 pounds lighter than in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he barely contributed.

“In summer league I was really heavy,” said Upshaw, who is still listed at the 258 he was in July. “It was kind of frustrating because I felt like my summer league was a lot, it could have been a lot more than what it was. And part of that was I was hefty.”

Scott agreed that shedding weight was key for Upshaw.

“He’s much lighter, getting up and down the floor much better and he’s getting off his feet much better,” Scott said. “We’re getting a chance to see some of the things we kept hearing about.”

As if Upshaw didn’t have enough things to overcome in the eyes of potential employers, at the Draft Combine in May he was flagged for a previously diagnosed heart issue.

Then, he faces the negative image that comes with being kicked off two teams. The Lakers required Upshaw to take certain unidentified steps before agreeing to bring him to camp.

By all accounts, Upshaw has been a model citizen in his brief tenure with the Lakers.

“I feel like me being on the bench, being an energy guy, being up every possession, being the first one out on the court is going to help us win games,” he said.

But when he was on the court, he was not the one doing the cheering, but the one whose name some fans called out.

“I think the difference between being on the bench and being on the court is the contribution part of it,” he said. “I feel I contribute on the sideline, being the energy guy and whatnot. Just super exciting to have the fans out there, people out there yelling my name. To get that attention, it’s all great.”

NOTES

The Lakers on Friday had their first off-day since the start of training camp. They will return to practice Saturday and on Sunday host Israel’s Maccabi Haifa at Staples Center. … Utah forward Trevor Booker was suspended for the Jazz’s season opener after swinging an open hand at Hibbert during an altercation during the teams’ game Tuesday in Honolulu.

Bill Oram covers the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and NBA for the Southern California News Group. He joined the Orange County Register staff in 2013 after previously covering the Utah Jazz for the Salt Lake Tribune. During most players' and coaches' media sessions, he is the guy in the background wearing a University of Montana Grizzlies cap.

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